Gmail Users at Risk: AI-Driven Phishing Scams Target 2.5 Billion Accounts

Over 2.5 billion Gmail users face the threat of phishing attacks, as seen in the case of Sam Mitrovic, a Microsoft solutions consultant.

Google’s recent efforts to fight scams, including alerts for sophisticated schemes mimicking legitimate support services, are facing challenges in ensuring Gmail account security. With over 2.5 billion users at risk, phishing attacks like those encountered by Sam Mitrovic are becoming increasingly prevalent.

An #AI-powered cyber-attack is targeting #Gmail’s 2.5 billion account holders. The hackers reportedly reach out to Gmail users with a realistic AI scam call that claims to be from Google Support to trick them. @Google @MLJ_GoI pic.twitter.com/f7ZssWil9D — Lawstreet Journal (@LawstreetJ) October 14, 2024

According to Forbes, Mitrovic was targeted by highly convincing AI-generated scam calls aimed at extracting sensitive information or tricking individuals into paying for fake services.

He received a suspicious notification, supposedly from Google, asking for approval for account recovery, along with a call originating from Sydney, Australia. Mitrovic decided to ignore the call.

A week later, another notification and more phone calls came in, with the caller claiming to be from Google support. In a blog post, Mitrovic warned fellow Gmail users about this phishing technique, which poses a significant risk to account security.

He detailed the incident, explaining that these scams involve fake emails or notifications urging users to confirm account recovery or password reset requests they did not initiate.

These messages mislead individuals into accessing a fraudulent login page, where they are prompted to enter their credentials to report the unauthorized request.

Garry Tan, founder of venture capital firm Y Combinator, also highlighted a similar phishing scam on X (formerly Twitter). In this case, a fake Google support representative created a false scenario involving a family member trying to recover his account.

Scammers are exploiting Google Forms, a free online tool within Google Workspace, to create convincing documents used in support scams. Responses from users are transmitted through official Google servers, making the scam appear more credible.

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